Officially announced by Apple Inc. last September 10, 2015 1:30AM Manila Time via an exclusive media event in San Francisco, California USA, the Apple iPhone 6S Plus is the 2015 follow-up to the first ever smartphone-tablet hybrid device of the company, the iPhone 6 Plus from last year.

The new 5.5-inch phablet was unveiled alongside the Apple iPhone 6S, which sports a smaller 4.7-inch screen but has the same internal hardware, design, and build.

As I've shared, I don't know if 'serial leakers' have gotten better at what they do or if Apple has simply become worse at keeping unreleased devices under wraps but - interestingly enough - almost all of the 'leaked' information and 'industry insider' rumors about the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus that we shared here in TechPinas over the past few months turned out accurate.

In fact, almost all of the key feature of the Apple iPhone 6S Plus that I've listed down below have actually been talked about extensively before as rumors. Anyway, they're now 100% official:

The Same Design

Apple iPhone 6S Plus looks almost the same as iPhone 6 Plus from 2015 but the newer model comes with an additional 'Rose Gold' color option, which a new device hue introduced by Apple via this year's ultra-slim Macbook.

Apple iPhone 6S Plus and 6 Plus share the same design identity -- but the refresh is slightly thicker and heavier, due to new components inside the shell like Apple's Taptic Engine for 3D Touch.

No More #Bendgate Scandal?

One of the main criticisms thrown at the Apple iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 just a week following their launch last year was that you can - if you really want to - bend them using your bare hands. This led to the much talked about Bendgate Scandal of 2014. This year, to address that issue, Apple used more durable materials - specifically 7000-series Aluminum and ion-exchange-processed glass - in crafting the shell of both iPhone 6S Plus and 6S.

3D Touch is Force Touch on an iPhone

Apple's innovative Force Touch screen technology that incorporates pressure sensitivity has made its way to the Apple Watch and the TouchPad of the 2015 Macbook. This year, Apple finally brings this unique display feature to its smartphone line via 3D Touch.

I would like to give credit to the good folks at The Verge for all images of the Apple iPhone 6S Plus used in this initial TechPinas Feature

The scratch-resistant glass touchscreen on top of the 5.5-inch Full HD Retina Display of iPhone 6S Plus detects subtle changes in pressure, allowing the user to input "half" or "full" clicks. This also enables new gestures like the all-new 'Peek and Pop' that lets you make commands or perform actions without having to fully open an app or to change where you are on the interface.

More Powerful Processor and More RAM

This year's Apple phablet features the faster and more energy-efficient 64-bit desktop-class Apple A9 chipset versus Apple A8 inside the Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Apple A9 is 70% faster in graphics tasks and 90% faster in CPU tasks compared to the Apple A8 from last year. This makes the iPhone 6S far superior in gaming and overall touch performance than its predecessor.

M9, Apple’s next-generation motion coprocessor is also embedded into A9 and it allows certain iOS features and background apps to run all the time without consuming too much power.

You'll also be glad to know that the iPhone 6S Plus now has 2 GB of RAM for improved multitasking, which - as I've previously noted - is a welcome boost considering that almost all competing flagship phones from last year have 3 GB of RAM.

Higher Resolution iSight Camera and OIS for Videos

Just like the iPhone 6S, the Apple iPhone 6S Plus sports a 12 MegaPixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels, enhanced local tone mapping, and noise reduction. This module represents a clear upgrade from the 2014 Apple phablet's 8 MegaPixel shooter.

But what's really amazing about the main camera of iPhone 6S Plus is that it features Optical Image Stabilization for both stills and videos. OIS is made possible by a 'floating lens' that moves to compensate for unnecessary movements - like shaking - when taking photos and recording clips.

The second generation Touch ID on this year's Apple phablet reads fingerprints more accurately and faster than ever before -- allowing you to unlock your Apple iPhone 6S Plus and make app purchases more intuitively and without annoying lags.

Take Selfies Even With Low to Zero Lighting Conditions Using Virtual Front Flash

Apple iPhone 6S Plus' new camera application incorporates virtual illumination or flash for selfies in lieu of an actual LED bulb in front. Apple calls this 'Retina Flash' and it's more or less similar to the software-based 'front flash' of the LG G4, Huawei Ascend P8, as well as of Lenovo Vibe Shot.

How does Retina Flash work, exactly? Well, it momentarily makes the display three times brighter with True Tone lighting as you snap a selfie using the iPhone 6S Plus' upgraded 5 MegaPixel FaceTime camera. This gives you wonderfully bright and clear self-portraits even when there's little natural or ambient light available.

Hey, Siri!

Both the Apple iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6S come with an updated version of the virtual mobile assistant Siri. One key new feature is 'Hey Siri' that lets you access the service and make commands from anywhere on the iPhone's interface. It works a lot like Android's 'OK Google' voice activation for Google Now.

Price and Release Date

In 2014, Apple's authorized resellers and network carriers started offering the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to consumers during the last week of October. And I'm inclined to believe that we're going to get the Apple iPhone 6S and 6S Plus around that same time this year; But I'm still hoping that they'd arrive a lot sooner. As for the official suggested retail price, based on 'historical data', the TP Guesstimates for the Apple iPhone 6S Plus are Php 43,990 for the 16GB model, Php 49,590 for the 64GB, and Php 55,890 for the 128GB version upon launch.

Update: Apple iPhone 6S Plus will be officially available in the Philippines via authorized carrier partners and retail outlets starting on November 6, 2015.

Are you a big Apple fan? If so, are you upgrading to the Apple iPhone 6S Plus this year? Which features of this cool new phablet do you like the most? Kindly share your thoughts with me via our comments section below.

Talk time: Up to 24 hours on 3G
Standby time: Up to 384 hours
Internet use: Up to 12 hours on 3G, up to 12 hours on LTE, up to 12 hours on Wi-Fi
Video playback: Up to 14 hours
Audio playback: Up to 80 hours